UK boy's name
Jerome
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "sacred" or "holy".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Jerome is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Jerome popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1322, with 20 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 135 births.
This profile covers 1,264 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 15% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,279 living people in the UK are called Jerome. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Jerome ranked #1322 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 20 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 135 boys were registered as Jerome.
- • Jerome ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #342 in 2015.
- • About 1,279 living people in the UK are estimated to have Jerome as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1322
2024
Births in 2024
20
Latest year
Peak year
1996
135 births
Estimated living
1,279
2026
Meaning
What does Jerome mean?
The name Jerome has its origins in the Greek name Hieronymus, which is derived from the elements "hieros" meaning sacred and "onoma" meaning name. It can be translated to mean "sacred name" or "holy name."
The name gained widespread recognition and popularity due to the 4th century scholar and priest, St. Jerome. Born around 347 AD in Stridon, a city on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia, St. Jerome is best known for translating the Bible into Latin, a version known as the Vulgate.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jerome can be found in the Bible, specifically in the Book of Ezra. Jerome is mentioned as a priest who participated in the dedication of the new wall of Jerusalem.
In the Middle Ages, the name Jerome became popular across Europe, particularly in regions influenced by the Catholic Church and the veneration of saints. It was commonly given to children as a way to honor St. Jerome and his contributions to Christianity.
Some notable historical figures named Jerome include St. Jerome (347-420 AD), the scholar and priest who translated the Bible into Latin; Jerome of Prague (1370-1416), a Czech philosopher and religious reformer; Jerome Kern (1885-1945), an American composer of musical theater; Jerome Robbins (1918-1998), an American choreographer and director; and Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927), an English writer and humorist best known for the novel "Three Men in a Boat."
Throughout history, the name Jerome has been used across various cultures and regions, including Europe, North America, and parts of the Middle East. It has remained a popular choice for parents seeking a name with a strong religious and historical significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Jerome over time
The chart below shows babies named Jerome registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Jerome, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 20 births in 2024, compared with 135 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jerome by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Jerome was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1436 | 91 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1018 | 288 | 10 |
| 2000s | #514 | 524 | 10 |
| 1990s | #311 | 361 | 4 |
Geography
Where Jerome is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Jerome. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Jerome ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #342 in 2015.
Across the UK
Jerome in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#544 in 2011
2 years of NRS records, 7 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#342 in 2015
5 years of NISRA records, 20 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Jerome
-
Jerome Opoku
association football player
English association football player (born 1998)
1998-
-
Jerome Sinclair
association football player
English association football player (born 1996)
1996-
-
Jerome Binnom-Williams
association football player
English association football player (born 1995)
1995-
-
Jerome Federico
association football player
English footballer (born 1992)
1992-
-
Jerome Holder
actor; film actor
British actor
1992-
-
Jerome Okimo
association football player
English footballer (born 1988)
1988-
-
Jerome Watt
association football player
English footballer (born 1984)
1984-
-
Jerome Thomas
association football player
English footballer (born 1983)
1983-
Related
Names similar to Jerome
- Jack 188,738
- Joshua 145,192
- James 141,878
- Joseph 102,259
- Jacob 93,754
- Jake 66,896
- Jamie 41,243
- Jordan 36,750
- Jayden 28,921
- Jude 24,156
- John 22,240
- Joe 19,164
FAQ
Jerome: questions and answers
How popular is the name Jerome in the UK right now?
In 2024, Jerome was ranked #1322 for boys in England and Wales, with 20 births registered.
When was Jerome most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 135 babies registered as Jerome in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Jerome?
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "sacred" or "holy".
How many people are called Jerome in the UK?
A total of 1,264 babies have been registered as Jerome across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 7 more in Scotland and 20 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Jerome most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Jerome ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #342 in 2015. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.